Strawberry Shortcake Bars are soft and chewy and slightly cakey cookie bars loaded with a creamy and fluffy whipped cream frosting and lots of fresh strawberries! Perfect for a potluck or when you need a delicious treat that’s refreshing, too!

So it doesn’t *quite* feel like springtime yet, but be forewarned: the spring recipes are coming!

Don’t worry – I haven’t changed my tune on spring yet. I mean, I like it alright, but for the most part, I’m still a winter baby through and through and I will hold onto winter until you pry it from my cold, chapped hands.

If I could edit spring to be allergy-free, warm but comfortable and NOT hot, and after spring was over we’d skip to fall, I’d be totally happy. But spring brings me some bittersweet moments, like allergies and a precursor to summer, which I loathe with a fiery passion.

But I’ve come to realize that most of the country prefers summer and loathes winter. I thought you all were crazy, but then I realized your summers are nice and mild (typically – I know this isn’t the case everywhere and some of you have a mild summer but like, 90% humidity which sounds like utter hell). But your winters are horrible, barren, snowy wastelands and you’re stuck shoveling snow or whatever, and we Californians are over here still wearing sandals on a sunny winter day or only leaving the house in a light hoodie.

So maybe I need to get rich, buy a summer home somewhere pleasant and mild, and migrate there when Sacramento becomes one of Dante’s rings of hell starting in late May.

In the meantime, let’s pretend it’s pre-spring and start making these Strawberry Shortcake Bars!

These bars are so delicious and easy to make – plus, they make a big batch since you can cut them smaller, so they’re perfect for a potluck or a big crowd.

The base of the bars is a cross between cake and a cookie. It’s a very cakey cookie, if you will – similar to those Lofthouse sugar cookies in the grocery store. The cookie is light and fluffy with a moist, cake-like crumb but is sturdy like a cookie would be.

The frosting is a cream cheese, vanilla and whipped topping frosting you beat together with an electric mixer. Spread it on and top with a mountain of fresh cut strawberries. If strawberries aren’t in season or aren’t your thing, you could totally add any kind of fruit you’d like – these would be especially gorgeous with a bunch of mixed berries or fruits like kiwi, pineapple, or mandarins! I just love the pop of pinks and reds from the juicy strawberries.

I love how these are cakey, soft, chewy and topped with that lovely, creamy “frosting”. It really ties everything together and tastes like a strawberry shortcake!

These Strawberry Shortcake Bars are light, buttery and cakey cookies topped with the loveliest cream cheese whipped frosting and lots of fresh strawberries!

Ingredients

FOR THE BARS:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup confectioners' sugar

1 large egg

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 & ½ cups all-purpose flour

FOR THE FROSTING & BERRIES:

One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

One 8-ounce tub whipped topping, thawed

One pound fresh strawberries, sliced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 rectangular pan with foil, extending the sides of the foil over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil with cooking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese until combined and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in the sugars and beat well. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix together. Lastly, add in the salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour until a soft dough comes together. Spread the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan in an even layer.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown on top and center is set. Cool completely.

For the frosting: Cream together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the whipped topping until combined. Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled bars. Top with the sliced strawberries. Serve immediately, or store covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.

This Honeyed Pear Whiskey Cocktail is subtle, inspired, and magical, just like the zodiac sign Pisces! Sweet pear, earthy honey and aromatic whiskey combine in this flavorful, fruity cocktail with a dreamy rinse of absinthe.

Welcome to Pisces season!!

Okay, so technically it started yesterday at 5pm EST, but today’s the first official FULL day of Pisces season. You can celebrate by aligning your chakra, going to a psychic, by trying to astral project, by falling madly in love, and doing a good, selfless deed for someone who needs a hand.

Pisces, also known as the fish of the zodiac, is the last astrological house (#12) and is ruled by the planet Neptune. It’s a mutable sign with the water element, and like other water signs Scorpio and Cancer, Pisces tend to be emotional and sometimes dubbed “cry babies”… but that’s only if you don’t know them too well. They are a great sign that just happens to be more expressive with their emotions. The “mutable” part means they are ever-changing, just like how water can change from rain to hail to snow to frost – Piscean emotions can change a dozen times a day.

Pisces are empathetic, compassionate creatures who love love. A Pisces almost seems happiest when in love because they’re so caring and nurturing toward others. They’re trusting and hospitable, always looking to help out someone who needs a hand, and they’re romantics through and through.

Often referred to as the magical sign, Pisces represents spirituality, illusion, mystics, psychic and dreams. Pisces often have a sleepy, dreamy look in their eyes because they tend to be escapists which can be both positive and negative – because they’re always in their imaginative world, they can be wildly creative and artistic, but negative because they tend to be easily depressed and sometimes rely heavily on substance abuses to escape.

Because Pisces are so empathetic and sensitive to others, sometimes they can find they take on other people’s troubles. This can be very draining to a Piscean because they’re taking the weight of another’s onto their shoulders – hence their tendency to want to escape. It’s important for Pisces to realize that it is more than okay to be generous and help others, but it’s imperative they ensure their needs are being met and to stay centered. Meditation, writing, exercise, and creating art are all positive ways to express their emotions and release the ties to the outside world.

Due to their romantic, sympathetic nature, sometimes Pisces can become self-pitying or as others sometimes crassly call them, a “cry baby.” They can become easily dependent on others, especially when in a relationship, and become far too involved with other people’s problems. They can also be gullible, have a tendency to be depressed or overly moody, and due to their dreamy nature, can sometimes lose touch with reality. That balance – and creative expression – is key to recenter them.

When it comes to Pisces and food, Pisceans love delicate, gentle foods that have minimal processing and can connect them with nature. They sometimes have a sweet tooth, but generally need foods that balance them out, lift their spirits, and keep the moody blues at bay. This can come through with nuts like almonds, seafood, melons, seaweed, sweet potatoes, spinach, honey, and pears.

As I was developing this recipe, I wanted several things for this particular cocktail: I wanted to focus on those delicate flavors like honey and pear, and I also wanted to create something with a nod to the dreaminess of Pisces, which is why I rinsed the glasses with absinthe beforehand. Known sometimes as a hallucinogenic, absinthe is incredibly strong and can sometimes be used to enhance the senses and “trip out” so to speak. Because I don’t want Pisceans to get drunk out of their gourd, I only rinsed the glass with a touch of absinthe to bring out the sweet, subtle flavors of the honey and pear.

For this, you’ll simply combine some pear nectar or juice, honey, and whiskey in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously with ice until combined. Pour into a highball glass with ice and garnish with pear slices. This drink is sweet but not cloying, delicate and refined with a touch of absinthe for that dreamy quality.

This Honeyed Pear Whiskey Cocktail is sweet, subtle, delicate and refined, much like the zodiac sign, Pisces! Sweet but not cloying, it's refreshing and light.

Ingredients

⅛ teaspoon absinthe

1 Tablespoon honey

1-1 & ½ ounces Crown Royal whiskey

2 ounces pear juice/nectar

Pear slices for serving

Instructions

Add the absinthe to your highball glass and gently swirl to coat the bottom and sides of the glass with the liquor. Discard any absinthe remaining.

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the honey, whiskey, and pear juice and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds to 1 minute or until mixture is combined. Fill your highball glass with ice and strain the cocktail into the glass. Garnish with pear slices.

These White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes are moist, tender vanilla cupcakes filled with tangy raspberry jam and topped with a silky white chocolate buttercream frosting! A great way to crush a chocolate craving!

So this will be yet another Valentine’s Day that I’m single… but before you comment some platitude about how I’ll find a guy, I’m honestly okay with it!

Being single on Valentine’s Day is maybe devastating for some people in Hollywood movies, or if your crap boyfriend dumps you the day before… but for those of us who have been single, it’s usually kinda just a day where we can watch bad rom-coms on the Hallmark Channel and binge-eat whatever we want. Lobster dinners are cheaper for 1 than they are for 2 people, and we don’t have to share our box of chocolates!

Sure, having a companion is cool and all, as are rose petals strewn across the bed and floor. But like… about those rose petals. Do you just vacuum them up when you’re done? Wouldn’t they clog the vacuum like dryer sheets do? Do you extend the experience for like a week until you’re crunching a bunch of dead flowers? And then when you move out a year later, you’ll probably still be finding fossilized rose petals under every piece of furniture, right?

I mean the whole thing just seems kinda messy and dramatic, and I really don’t think a 5-minute impression of romance is worth it when I later have to stick my entire forearm into a vacuum canister to dislodge dusty flowers. But hey, if that’s romantic to you then to each their own.

Since this’ll be another year single, I’m going to spend it how I want: ditch the rose petal/vacuum battle and instead drink some Midori Sours in a big ol’ bubble bath. And preferably feed myself these White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes, because they are hella romantic.

I just adore white chocolate + raspberry flavors so much. There’s something so intoxicating about sweet, mild white chocolate paired with tart and tangy raspberry that is so beautiful; like soul-mates! I wanted to create a delicate cupcake that showcased both of these flavors prominently so you could get the whole ~experience~ of eating both at the same time.

The cake is simple: a vanilla cake mix that I added some white chocolate instant pudding mix to. This just kind of gives a subtle white chocolate undertone to the cake base. If you have a homemade vanilla cupcake recipe you like, use that instead! This is about easiness!

Bake ’em up until they’re nice and pretty and let them cool. After they’re cooled, core them with a cupcake corer or a handy dandy paring knife. You can eat the innards like I do, or discard them if you’re a heathen. Fill the centers with raspberry jam – I like seedless best – and then top them with a sinfully delicious white chocolate buttercream. This is what really amplifies that white chocolate flavor!

The buttercream starts like any other – butter and vanilla, of course – but you add a bar of melted white chocolate to the mix which makes it ultra creamy, super silky and totally rich. Then just add in some confectioners’ sugar to thicken it up and pipe it high onto these beauties. Note that if you choose to pipe it really high as shown, you may want to double the recipe.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with about 18-20 paper liners; set aside. Meanwhile, prepare the cake mix according to the package instructions until cake batter is combined. Stir in the dry pudding mix into the cake batter. Portion the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling about ⅔ full. Bake according to package directions or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Cool completely.

Once cupcakes have cooled, core them using a cupcake corer or a paring knife. Discard or consume the cupcake insides. Fill each cupcake with raspberry jam just barely to the top of the cupcake.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and vanilla until soft and creamy, 1 minute. Add in the melted white chocolate and beat well. Lastly, add in the confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time, until frosting is light and fluffy.

Pipe or spread the frosting onto the filled cupcakes, making sure to cover the filling. Garnish with a fresh raspberry.

These Black & White Cookies are like the classic NYC staple at any self-respecting deli and bodega: cakey, soft and moist with a hint of vanilla flavor and a two-toned vanilla and chocolate icing on top!

I’m always so good with remembering birthdays and anniversaries… but never my blog’s anniversary.

It’s on January 21, so it’s three days before my birthday and things are usually hectic, as expected. But it came and went and I didn’t even acknowledge it!

Can you believe it has been EIGHT years since I started this blog? January 21, 2011 was the date of my first ever blog post and unbeknownst to me, as corny as it sounds, it would change myself for the better!

I’ve always struggled with the childhood age-old question of “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Classmates and friends had clear ideas, and even if they changed, their next idea was just as clear and settled. I never really knew because everything sounded so restrictive.

I had odd jobs as a teen and young adult – I worked at a cupcake shop, a deli, Crate & Barrel, a portrait studio – but those didn’t feel like something I could sustain for a career per se. So when my mom told me to apply for a county job – a respectable job with a 401k and health insurance and a full-time, consistent schedule – I reluctantly accepted the fact that maybe this was what I was meant to do. I remember setting up my cubicle and tried to inject some life into the drab, grey space.

That was in 2013, just two years after starting my blog and only a few months after realizing I could make money off of my blog. Prior to my first blog paycheck, I was putting all of my money into it – buying ingredients, taking photos, hosting my website. So when I made my first $20, then $100, I was ecstatic. Each month I’d work my ass off blogging and working for the county full-time. When I wasn’t crunching numbers in a cubicle for 40 hours a week, I was at home developing unique recipes and tending to my blog 40 hours a week. The more work I put into my blog, the more money I made and traffic I got to my little slice of the internet.

And then something amazing happened. I got fired from my county job. A natural-born rebel who tends to have… issues with authority, I challenged the status quo too much and thought way too outside the box for such a rigid job. Don’t get me wrong: county jobs have amazing pay and benefits, but for me, it felt like my soul was dying every hour I spent there in that depressing cubicle. I would cry on the way to work every day, praying that one day I could be able to afford my lifestyle doing what I loved rather than working a sensible but stifling job.

The day I got fired, I packed up a box with my trinkets and toys that had decorated my office space and drove home sobbing. I was so relieved but scared, but the second I walked in the door and my family embraced me with open arms, I knew I was probably the luckiest gal in the world. I lived at home rent-free, I had a few credit card payments but virtually no other bills, and I was officially “unemployed” from the real world and yet, it felt as if the world had cracked open and revealed so many new possibilities to me right then and there.

I started blogging full-full time in December 2013, the day after I was fired from that nightmare job. The first few months were a little hard – I definitely didn’t pay some of those bills and had to be harassed by the credit card companies, wondering where their monthly payments were. But the more work I put into my blog, the more traffic I got, and the more traffic I got, the more money I made. Soon I could pay my bills and car payment. After that, I was able to have spending money. And eventually, I started earning so much that I could afford to move out on my own with cash to spare.

Blogging isn’t easy – don’t laugh! Is it as hard or complex as say, a rocket scientist’s job? No – but everything’s relative and blogging is ever-changing. I learn something new about my job every day. It may not last forever – we can’t predict the future of the internet, after all – but I am enjoying it and so eternally grateful to it for the time being. That’s what matters to me.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my blog, whether you’re a first-time visitor today or you’ve been reading along since the beginning. My goal is to make you smile with my funny stories and to make you feel like the best, most bad-ass baker in the world when you make one of my recipes for your family and friends.

So now, let’s talk about these COOKIES!

Black & White Cookies are synonymous with New York City… every bit of a hallmark as the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and Yankee Stadium. You cannot enter any bodega or deli without seeing these graphic, delicious two-toned cookies. They aren’t all created equally – but they are there!

These cookies are cakier than the cookies you’re probably used to. They definitely have lots of lift and are supremely soft and moist, thanks to sour cream which gives them this light, cakey texture. With a hint of vanilla, they’re super delicious and subtle – the perfect vehicle for the two-toned icing which makes the cookie.

The icing is half vanilla, half chocolate – and it’s made in virtually the same bowl. The icing hardens slightly so the cookies can be packed and stacked, but when you bite into it, it yields under the pressure and is soft and sweet. And yes, you technically frost the flat bottom of the cookie! Since the cookies bake up with a dome (they do rise like cake!), you’ll want to frost the bottoms!

I couldn’t think of a more perfect cookie to celebrate my 8th bloggiversary with!

These Black & White Cookies are a NYC staple, but instead of commuting to Manhattan, make this recipe! It makes for cakey but moist and soft vanilla cookies with a signature two-toned chocolate and vanilla glaze.

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIES:

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

⅓ cup full-fat sour cream

1 & ¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

⅛ teaspoon salt

FOR THE GLAZES:

5 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

7 Tablespoons whole milk, divided

2 Tablespoons corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch salt

3 Tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar with the paddle attachment for 2 minutes or until fluffy and pale in color. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix well, scraping down the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl periodically to ensure everything is well blended. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add in ⅓ of the flour mixture, mixing well and scraping the bowl if needed. Add in half of the sour cream, mix well. Repeat, alternating flour and sour cream and ending with flour until the batter is soft. It won't be as thick as traditional cookie dough - almost like a cross between cake batter and cookie dough.

Using a ¼ cup size cookie dough scoop, portion the cookie dough 3" apart on the baking sheets. You should get exactly 12 scoops of cookie dough, 6 per sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time to ensure even cooking for both trays. Cool on the baking sheets.

For the icing: In a large bowl, combine the sifted confectioners' sugar, 6 Tablespoons of the whole milk, the corn syrup, vanilla extract, and salt and whisk until thickened and combined. Remove one cup of the icing to a separate small bowl and to the small bowl add the remaining Tablespoon of milk and the sifted cocoa powder, stirring until combined.

Using an offset spatula, spread half of the flat side of the cookie with vanilla icing. Let vanilla icing set for about 15-20 minutes. Then frost the other half of the cookie with the chocolate icing. Allow cookies to set, about 1 hour, before serving.

This Famous Banana Pudding is served in a popular bakery in Manhattan and has won over the hearts of so many pudding lovers everywhere! You won’t believe how easy and perfect this banana pudding is to make… and eat!

So my 28th birthday was a couple weeks ago, and let’s just say I indulged a LOT.

Like, too much. I know. There’s such a boundary, and I have crossed it.

I was pretty much going out to eat every night leading up to and after my birthday, ordering whatever my heart desired and eating dessert after every meal. I wasn’t so much drinking – if I know I want dessert there, I’ll usually skip a boozy beverage in favor of dessert – but I was definitely indulging.

And now my body is like HOLD UP GIRL and is waving a white flag. So now I’m back to eating salads and crap like that, when really, I’d love to dive head-first into pasta, fried chicken, and my fave dessert evah: banana pudding!

I didn’t realize how much I adored banana pudding until a local restaurant opened up literally next door to my apartments. It’s called Lazy Dog, and they are basically a scratch-made American cuisine type of restaurant and have banana pudding on the menu. Prior to eating theirs, I dreamed of Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding in NYC. It’s creamy, decadent, lusciously soft and so divine, but I’m not exactly in close proximity to Manhattan. So when I discovered Lazy Dog’s, it became an excellent stand-in.

However, I recently acquired the recipe to Magnolia Bakery’s Famous Banana Pudding and I had to share it with you. It tastes JUST like their version and it couldn’t be simpler. It is a little time consuming, in that there are a few steps that require some chill-time…. don’t be discouraged! There’s very little hands-on work, and if you make it ahead, it has time to set and merry all those incredible flavors.

It starts with a surprise ingredient that you’ll never guess “homemade” pudding to have: pudding mix! Yep, this comes directly from Magnolia Bakery’s pastry chefs and it’s the real deal. They use – as well as this recipe – Jell-O instant pudding mix. Their recipe calls for vanilla pudding mix, but I love banana flavors so I actually use banana flavored pudding mix in my recipe. It’s entirely up to you what you choose, if you want to be more authentic to Magnolia’s recipe, or have more of a punchy banana flavor.

You’ll combine the pudding mix, some water, and a can of sweetened condensed milk together until it all comes together in a delectable, cohesive pudding. Cover and refrigerate it for several hours so it has ample time to set properly. Once it has set, you’ll beat the daylights out of some heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form, then you’ll gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream mixture. The whipped cream gives this pudding body: light, airy, and fluffy as a cloud with that homemade flavor from fresh cream.

Once your pudding has come together, now it is time to layer it up! I only recommend using Nilla-brand vanilla wafers, along with fresh banana slices. Arrange the Nilla wafers and banana slices in a dish, then layer with 1/3 of the pudding. Repeat the layers, ending with a layer of pudding. I like to add some crushed Nilla wafers on top for a little texture and presentation. The hardest part is you’ll want to let this set in the fridge for at LEAST 4 hours. And once it is ready, you’ll die and go to heaven because this stuff is AMAZING.

Creamy, smooth, rich and fluffy pudding flavored with fresh banana and sweet Nilla wafers. Just like Magnolia’s, but ten times better since it is homemade!

Beat together the pudding mix, condensed milk, and water in a medium bowl with a handheld electric mixer until combined, about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate the pudding mixture for 3-4 hours, or overnight, before continuing. This step is very important to allow the pudding to set properly!

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream mixture, scraping the bottom of the bowl to ensure it is fully combined and no streaks of pudding remain.

To assemble the pudding: Lightly grease a 4-5 quart dish. I used a rectangular porcelain one. Arrange one third of the wafer cookies onto the bottom of the dish, then one third of the bananas, and then finally one third of the banana pudding. Repeat layers twice, finishing with the banana pudding. Crush any remaining wafers on top of the pudding layer.

Cover very tightly and refrigerate for 4 hours, or up to 8 hours, before serving. This is best served within 2 days.

If you’re looking for a perfect cinnamon roll recipe, my Incredible Cinnamon Rolls are that recipe! They’re soft and fluffy with a gooey, buttery cinnamon sugar filling and a sweet cream cheese icing. So easy and fantastic!

Cinnamon rolls are easily one of my favorite things in this world. I never pass up a chance to try a local bakery’s version, or to even pop open a can of refrigerated rolls on days when I’m desperate for a taste.

However, some cinnamon rolls are quite disappointing, which is basically a crime against humanity if you ask me. It’s always heartbreaking when you take a bite of one and it was clearly just for looks – it’s either stale, or not cinnamon-y at all, or wayyyy too frosting-heavy to be considered edible (although that one is more of a personal preference).

I consider myself a connoisseur of cinnamon rolls. BRB, putting that on a business card.

So I set out to make the perfect, most Incredible Cinnamon Roll recipe ever. And I think I nailed it, to be honest with you!

These rolls are both simple and perfect – made with a soft and fluffy yeast-risen dough, a heavy hand with brown sugar and ground cinnamon, and a generous but not over-powering cream cheese icing. The icing also isn’t so cloyingly sweet that it loses that tangy cream cheese flavor, which was important to me since I love that flavor!

You start with a yeast-based dough, like any self-respecting cinnamon roll does. It starts with yeast – I like rapid rise yeast, but any should work – whole milk, butter, eggs, salt, and flour. Now, if you’re new to bread-making, here’s a tip: the amount of flour is just a starting point. The recipe calls for anywhere between 4 – 6 cups of flour. The amount of flour you need varies on a lot of things, namely weather/climate, which is a biggie! I needed exactly 5.5 cups of all-purpose flour, but you may only need 4… or perhaps you need the full 6. The recipe starts off at 4 cups to see where you’re at, and then you can add more if it’s necessary.

How will you know when and if to add more flour? The dough should be slightly sticky but pliable and should spring back when you touch it with very little dough on your hands. If it’s incredibly sticky and loose, you definitely need more flour. But if you can poke it with your finger and a little or no dough comes off on your fingertip, it sounds like you’re ready!

The dough needs to rise, but after an hour, you’ll roll it out into a plane of dough. Top it with melted butter and a generous handful of brown sugar & ground cinnamon. Roll it up, cut it into 12 equal pieces (these are big cinnamon rolls!) and let them rise once more. This isn’t a shortcut recipe, but man, it is worth the wait!

Bake it up until they’re golden and set, then top with the cream cheese icing. It’s kind of a cross between a glaze and a frosting, and it is SO divine!

These cinnamon rolls are super soft and fluffy with a sweet, thick brown sugar and cinnamon filling and a lovely vanilla cream cheese glaze… and they’re totally incredible!

These Incredible Cinnamon Rolls are my favorite cinnamon roll recipe! Soft and fluffy with a thick cinnamon filling and a light cream cheese glaze. So irresistible, soft and fluffy!

Ingredients

One package (2 & ¼ teaspoons) rapid rise yeast

1 cup warm whole milk (110 to 115 degrees F)

½ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup melted butter

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

4-6 cups all-purpose flour (you may not use all of it - see recipe for notes)

FOR THE FILLING:

1 cup brown sugar

1-2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

⅓ cup melted butter

FOR THE GLAZE:

½ cup butter, softened

4 ounces (1/2 pkg) cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast and warm milk, whisking to combine. Let set for 5 minutes, then add in the sugar, melted butter, eggs, salt, and two (2) cups of the flour. Mixture will be very sticky. Gradually add in the remaining flour, starting with ½ cup at a time and working until dough is ready. Dough will be ready when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and springs back lightly when touched with very minimal dough on your fingers. Mixture shouldn't be super sticky. Add more flour as needed, knowing that you may need all of the flour or only some of the flour depending on the weather in your home.

Knead the dough for about 4 minutes on a clean, flat work surface. Lightly oil a large bowl and add the dough ball to the bowl, turning to coat in the oil. Cover loosely with a tea towel and let rise, about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Punch down dough, then roll out into a large rectangle on a flat work surface - anywhere around 11x8 to 13x9 should do the trick, with the long side facing you. You don't want it to be too thin but not super thick, either. Spread the surface of the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle liberally and evenly with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Starting with the long side facing you, being rolling the dough tightly as you go until it forms into a log shape; pinch the ends to seal. Using a sharp serrated knife or some dental floss (my preferred method), cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. You may want to discard the end pieces. Place the cinnamon rolls in a greased 13x9 rectangular baking pan. Cover loosely with a tea towel and rise for one hour in a warm place.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until lightly golden brown and bubbly. While cinnamon rolls bake, make the frosting: in a large bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth. Add in the confectioners' sugar until a soft frosting comes together. Spread the frosting evenly over the hot cinnamon rolls.

This Boozy Grape Kombucha Kool-Aid is fizzy, sweet and a little tangy and packed with amazing grape and fruit flavors. It reminds me of effervescent, unusual Aquarians – the trendsetters of the Zodiac!

Welcome back to my Zodiac Cocktail series! I am so so so very excited to bring this drink to you today for Aquarius because I am one!

At the start of this year, I decided I wanted to create a cocktail series centered around one of my favorite subjects: astrology. This series would consist of 12 unique cocktails, handcrafted by yours truly to represent each zodiac sign based on their traits, personality, cravings, and needs. We kicked it off earlier this month with Capricorn’s Cranberry Thyme Vodka Lemonade, but we are now entering Aquarius season which calls for a new cocktail recipe!

Aquarians are known for being different, off the cuff, and unpredictable. Ruled by Uranus, this fixed air sign (yep, that’s right; Aquarians are not water signs!!) is unique, bordering on brilliant, inventive, progressive and eclectic. Aquarians love to think outside of the box, innovating new things (often based in technology) and rebel against the status quo. (Hence why this Aquarian has been fired from most of my jobs!). Aquarians are the world’s humanitarians, often fighting for human rights and social justice. We challenge authority, break rules, and are disturbed when we are told what to do or confined to any certain thing. Often mistaken as emotionless or lacking empathy, we do this so we can see the world clearly without emotional attachment to the issues we must fight and problems we must solve.

Aquarius is a fixed sign, which means we can be stubborn, persistent, and concentrated. Aquarians represent the mind, and we are always trying to come up with new ideas. However, because we’re a fixed sign, once we’ve made up our mind, we’re usually hard-pressed to budge on the issue at hand. However, we make great friends with anyone from every walk of life. Aquarians are the life of the party, always mingling with everyone, from the hostess to the butcher to the janitor. In fact, my Taurean mom and Capricorn sister don’t understand why I feel like I have to be chatty with everyone I come across… it’s just another Aquarian quirk I guess

Typically, Aquarians are: loyal friends, engaging conversationalists, thoughtful, creative, inventive, independent thinkers who are deeply interested in humanity and political reform. When Aquarians are “bad”, though, we can be elitist, unwilling to budge on our ideas or opinions, eccentric to the point of being weird, bordering on creepy, overly preoccupied with obsessions and weird curiosities, tactless and emotionless, unpredictable, sometimes perverse, and a little too rebellious (such as getting fired from their job for challenging authority).

When it comes to food, Aquarians are likely to try the latest cutting-edge food craze, or even foods from the past that they feel needed a revival. Much like myself, who dresses in vintage garb, Aquarians do like to take inspiration from the past… but don’t expect us to adhere to those antiquated rules. Aquarians are also scientists at heart; it isn’t uncommon for one to go into a strange kitchen with a mixture of bizarre ingredients and create a miniature food masterpiece.

Foods associated with Aquarians are potatoes, parsley, lemon, vinegar, wild rice, blueberries, and grapes, to name a few. Aquarians are associated with the circulatory system, a network in the body consisting of blood, blood vessels, and the heart. This network supplies tissues in the body with amino acids and oxygen, and also helps remove waste. Grapes – particularly Concord grapes – are shown to help aid the cardiovascular and circulatory systems by helping relieve high blood pressure and promotes healthy blood flow – ideal for Aquarians!

When I was coming up with a recipe for Aquarius, I knew it had to be something interesting, unique, and unexpected. Kombucha is all the rage right now – you can even find it at Walmart and some gas stations! – but Aquarians usually eschew from trends… however, because kombucha has that vinegar-y flavor associated with Aquarius, and because using kombucha is unexpected in a cocktail, I knew this pairing would be one I think most Aquarians would find irresistible.

Normally, I’m not a big kombucha fan, but this cocktail is a great intro to it if it’s still unfamiliar with your palate. It has just a hint of sparkling fizz and a slightly tart tangy-ness from the kombucha, combined with a homemade Concord grape syrup, vodka, blue curacao and a little grenadine. And if you thought blue was Aquarius’ color, it is one of them… but purple – specifically violet – is one of our colors as well. See? You think you know us, but we like to keep everyone else on their toes.

If you don’t like grape very much, try making this with blueberry! Simply use blueberry juice for the syrup, and blueberry kombucha! You can also experiment with different flavors of kombucha for the float: I think ginger, lemon, cranberry, or cherry would be particularly delicious!

It’s sweet, lightly fizzy, tangy and fruity with that hint of vinegar that offsets some of the sweet fruit flavor. Even if you think you may not enjoy grape flavors or kombucha, give it a try – it may surprise you, just like your fave Aqua.

This Boozy Grape Kombucha Kool-Aid is sweet, tangy, a little tart and has a hint of fizz from the naturally sparkling kombucha. It's perfect to represent unique and effervescent Aquarians, the sign I associate with this cocktail.

Ingredients

1 ounce Concord grape syrup (recipe follows)

2 ounces vodka or rum

2 ounces blue curacao

1-1.5 ounces grenadine

Grape kombucha to float (I like Divine Grape)

FOR CONCORD GRAPE SYRUP:

1 cup Concord grape juice

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup water

Instructions

To make the Concord grape syrup: in a small saucepan, add in the grape juice, sugar, and water. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before serving.

To a cocktail shaker or tall glass, add in the Concord grape syrup, vodka, blue curacao, and grenadine. Add ice to shaker and shake vigorously for a few seconds until cold and combined. Pour over fresh ice in a glass. Top with a kombucha float. Makes one serving.

NOTE: You can also use different flavored kombuchas to make this drink! Try experimenting with blueberry, ginger, lemon, or another berry flavor.

This Funfetti Edible Cookie Dough is one of my faves: easy, quick, and so tasty! It’s a cookie dough that’s egg-free so it is safe to eat. So perfect!

I am a huge cookie dough fan. It is literally in my genetics. No, seriously – it is. When my mom was expecting me, she and my dad always made a huge batch of cookie dough to eat while watching TV. Of course, back then there were no fears about eggs or raw flour, so they ate the whole thing and I turned out fine!

You could say a cookie dough diet in the womb shaped me to be the food blogger I am today. And influenced my serious love for the stuff.

Nowadays, cookie dough is super trendy and I wanted to hop on the bandwagon to bring you this amazing version filled with sprinkles and white chocolate chips. It tastes just like Funfetti cake batter but in a soft, gooey and rich eggless cookie dough!

Egg-free cookie dough is very similar to standard cookie dough but with a few swaps and substitutions. Obviously, regular cookie dough is meant to be transformed into cookies through a short time in the oven. Regular cookie dough also uses raw eggs and raw flour in its ingredients since both of those will get baked into the perfect soft and chewy cookie.

However, edible cookie dough has a slightly different genetic makeup. Yes, it still has butter, brown and granulated white sugars, vanilla… but instead of eggs, we use milk to bind it together, and I give you an option to use a safe flour to consume raw, or a heat-treated option so you can have the authentic experience. (You could also make this with pasteurized eggs to make it safe to eat, but I find the milk does the trick just fine!)

Now, if you were wondering if this edible cookie dough could be baked into cookies, the answer is not really. For one, there’s no eggs or leavening agents (such as baking soda or baking powder) so it wouldn’t really rise or hold together well at all.

So if you’re also wondering what the heck heat-treated flour is, it’s basically flour that has been heated to an internal temperature of over 160 degrees F, which is the temperature needed to kill off any bacteria in raw flour. Personally, I have never had an issue eating raw flour before but if you are serving this to people with compromised immunity, such as the elderly or small kids, it’s probably better to be safe rather than sorry and heat your flour.

To heat treat your flour: simply microwave the flour on HIGH for 1-2 minutes, stirring after every 15 seconds. When you stick a digital thermometer into the flour, it should read over 160 degrees F. You can also alternatively bake the flour in a 200 degree F. oven for 10 minutes. OR, you can buy a prepackaged heat-treated flour!

And if you really don’t feel like messing with heat-treated flour experiments, try substituting a flour alternative, such as almond flour, oat flour, or chickpea flour. These flour alternatives do not need to be heat-treated, but they may alter the final taste of the cookie dough slightly (almond flour will be more nutty, oat flour may be more hearty, etc).

I love this Funfetti Edible Cookie Dough because it has a fun cake batter-like flavor and is loaded with rainbow sprinkles and white chocolate chips in every bite! However, use the base of this recipe to make your favorite customized version by using regular chocolate chips, peanut butter chips or chopped peanut butter cups, crushed pretzels, raisins or another dried fruit, nuts, or chocolate-covered candies! It’s really up to how you want to make it, but I suggest this sprinkly kind be tried first!

Perfect for celebrating my 28th birthday next week if I do say so myself! An ode to my past with a present-day favorite!

This Funfetti Edible Cookie Dough is super simple, fast and delicious! It tastes just like a cross between Funfetti cake batter and gooey cookie dough and it's safe to eat!

Ingredients

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup brown sugar

¾ cup granulated white sugar

2 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

1 & ¾ cups all-purpose flour, heat-treated if desired (you may also use a flour substitute such as almond, oat, or chickpea flour)

¾ cup white chocolate chips

½ cup rainbow sprinkles

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with the paddle attachment until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add in the milk and vanilla and beat well. Lastly, slowly add in the flour until a soft dough comes together. Fold in the white chocolate chips and rainbow sprinkles, or any other add-ins you'd prefer.

Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 2 days. You may want to bring it slightly to room temperature before serving if it has been refrigerated so it has a chance to soften some!

This Simply Perfect Banana Cake needs no special bells or whistles – it’s just a straightforward, moist and soft banana cake with a luscious cream cheese frosting that’s delicious and anything but basic!

So the funniest thing happened to me recently.

I decided to get back into the online dating world because me working from home will not make a partner magically appear and suddenly help with dishes. (Though I wish). I realized I actually have to be proactive and you know, try some. So back to the online sites I went.

I matched with this guy who was an EMT and passed my rigorous litmus test of not being a total psycho… or so I thought.

He asked to FaceTime me 6 times throughout our day-long conversation. I said no each time, finally saying I don’t like FaceTime. I mean, my own parents don’t even FaceTime me… why would I want to do that with a complete stranger? And around 8pm I stopped texting him because I have insomnia and cut off all tech at 8pm every night, for every one, no matter what. I like sleep – sue me. I let him know that evening I’m a grandma and would stop texting him, too, so it wasn’t like I dropped off the map suddenly.

In the morning I woke up to a barrage of texts from the guy asking me to FaceTime (again) and also saying “so you went to bed early I guess…………” complete with the million-mile long ellipses. When I texted him “yeah, I told you I was a grandma, lol!” he shot back, “am I supposed to be impressed that you go to bed early???” I said “uh, no, it’s not really impressive but I do it so I can sleep because I love sleep.”

You guys. He cancelled our date the following day because he got a “bad feeling” about the fact that I went to bed early. Um.

A guy dumped me because I liked to sleep. This is a new one for even me, and I’ve gone on a date with a convicted felon! < although I did not know that was the case until we were on the date.

So yeah, I guess I should update my dating info to let people know I like my sleep and will stop talking to them at 8pm. Don’t worry; I wasn’t upset or anything – we had talked for one day! I’m glad he showed off his weirdness early on. His loss! Maybe one day I’ll find a “grandpa” to match my grandma-ness and we can go to bed early together, ha!

In the meantime, I consoled myself with this Simply Perfect Banana Cake. Banana is one of my favorite flavors for everything – yogurt, snow cone, cake, pie, pudding… I just adore it so much. It’s so creamy and comforting to me. And since January is my birthday month, I am all about comforting favorites!

This cake is made from scratch and reminds me of one of my favorite childhood cakes, the Sara Lee brand banana cake. We could only ever find it at Smart & Final stores, but whenever my mom would pick it up, it was such a delicious treat. This has a cream cheese frosting that pairs beautifully with the moist, soft and tender banana cake.

You could obviously add in nuts to the cake batter or to top the frosting, or sprinkles, or extra accouterments, but I kinda thought this cake was perfect in its straightforward simplicity. It kinda didn’t need any bells and whistles since it was so perfect on its own. (Although it would be amazing with walnuts or pecans!).

Whether your birthday’s in January or not, make this cake and thank me later!

This Simply Perfect Banana Cake needs no bells and whistles - it's perfect on its own! Moist and tender with a soft crumb, it is packed with fresh banana flavor and topped with a silky smooth cream cheese frosting!

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and pale in color, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, followed by the vanilla extract. Beat in the baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Alternate adding in the flour with the mashed bananas and sour cream, until fully incorporated. Pour into the prepared pan and spread in an even layer.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, not wet, crumbs. Cool completely.

For the frosting: in a bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add in the confectioners' sugar, about 1 cup at a time, until frosting is light, fluffy, and spreadable. Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake. I like to refrigerate the cake for about an hour, covered, to set but it can totally be served right away. Store leftovers covered in the fridge.

When I think back on my childhood, several significant things come to mind.

One would be summer days spent inside my Grammie Pat’s pool with my siblings and friends, doing back flips off of the diving board and eating so much ice cream our stomachs would hurt.

Two would be the musical stylings of 80s rock bands blasting throughout my house at all times, courtesy of my parents amazing taste in music.

And three would be for sure Circus Animal Cookies by Mother’s brand. No other brand compares!

My brother and I actually had a great system – he ate all the pink ones, and I ate all the white ones. For some reason, I just thought the white ones always had more sprinkles and tasted better. Funny, because my brother swore the pink ones had more sprinkles and tasted better. Children hopped up on sugar can be quite delusional.

Nowadays, I am more non-prejudiced and love all the colors of the cookies. Pink and white are equals in my eyes. I know no differences between the two colors. (I’m progressive in my old age).

To this day, approaching my 28th birthday, I am still quite fond of these delicious fudge-coated cookies. I still search the bag for the sprinkliest ones to eat first, though. Some things don’t change much.

And these Circus cookies inspired me to make the ultimate sprinkle sugar cookie – stuffed with more cookies. A cookie inception, if you will – of the obnoxiously sprinkled kind.

The result were these Circus Animal Sprinkle Cookies! They’re fully loaded with tons of rainbow sprinkles, white chocolate chips, and chopped up Circus Animal Cookies! AKA, they’re basically my dream cookie. The base is a soft and chewy sugar pudding cookie. What’s a pudding cookie? It’s simply a cookie that you add dry pudding mix powder to. The result is a supremely soft and chewy cookie that stays soft for dayyyyys. < not that they’ll last that long!

The recipe starts out like most cookie recipes: butter, brown sugar, granulated white sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, a pinch of salt, and the secret ingredient: dry pudding powder! Then you’ll add in a tonnn of rainbow sprinkles, some white chocolate chips, and chopped Circus cookies. They’re so delicious, you guys. I know you’ll flip for them as much as I did!

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy and blended, about 1 minute. Add in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Lastly, add in the baking soda, salt, flour, and pudding powder until a soft dough comes together. Stir in the white chips, cookies, and sprinkles.

Drop 1-2 Tablespoonfuls of dough 2" apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time to ensure even cooking. Let cool out of the oven for about 5 minutes before pressing a whole circus animal cookie into the center of each cookie. Allow cookies to cool completely before serving or storing.